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editorCopyright 2018 NPR. To see more, visit MICHEL MARTIN, HOST: After 17 people were killed at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School by a former student using a semi-automatic rifle, a lot of people reacted in ways you probably expected. But Ben Dickmann, who lives nearby in Fort Lauderdale, did something he didn't expect to do. He turned in his own semi-automatic weapon to the sheriff's office and asked them to destroy it. He posted about it on Facebook, and that post has now gone viral. It's been shared more than 100,000 times. And Ben Dickmann is with us now from his home in Florida. Mr. Dickmann, thanks so much for speaking with us. BEN DICKMANN: My pleasure. MARTIN: Now, you were telling us that you'd been hunting since you were a kid growing up in Wisconsin. But you bought this particular weapon - I guess it's an AR-57 - when you moved to Florida. How come? DICKMANN: I do enjoy target practice at the range with other types of guns, and I had friends who had had AR-15s and have AR-15sAfter Parkland Shooting, A Florida Gun Owner Gives Up His AR-57http://northernpublicradio.org/post/after-parkland-shooting-florida-gun-owner-gives-his-ar-57
112097 as http://northernpublicradio.orgSat, 17 Feb 2018 22:30:00 +0000After Parkland Shooting, A Florida Gun Owner Gives Up His AR-57editorCopyright 2018 NPR. To see more, visit MICHEL MARTIN, HOST: He was wrongfully accused - set up, actually - beaten within an inch of his life, confined to solitary in New York's notorious Rikers Island, and even now, a decade later, former police officer Joe King Oliver is still trying to get his life back on track. Sure, he's making ends meet with his private eye service. He's repaired his relationship with his teenage daughter and is cordial with his ex-wife. And he gets to listen to some Thelonious Monk now and then. Does he really need to take on the complicated case of the activist-journalist accused of being a cop killer? Sure he does, especially when a mysterious letter on pink stationery ties the activist's case to the same corrupt cops who framed Joe 10 years earlier. You following all that? That is the set up of Walter Mosley's juicy new detective novel "Down The River Unto The Sea." And Walter Mosley is with us now from NPR West in Culver City, Calif. Thank you so much forBarbershop: History Of Immigration Politicshttp://northernpublicradio.org/post/barbershop-history-immigration-politics
112096 as http://northernpublicradio.orgSat, 17 Feb 2018 22:30:00 +0000Barbershop: History Of Immigration PoliticseditorCopyright 2018 NPR. To see more, visit MICHEL MARTIN, HOST: He was wrongfully accused - set up, actually - beaten within an inch of his life, confined to solitary in New York's notorious Rikers Island, and even now, a decade later, former police officer Joe King Oliver is still trying to get his life back on track. Sure, he's making ends meet with his private eye service. He's repaired his relationship with his teenage daughter and is cordial with his ex-wife. And he gets to listen to some Thelonious Monk now and then. Does he really need to take on the complicated case of the activist-journalist accused of being a cop killer? Sure he does, especially when a mysterious letter on pink stationery ties the activist's case to the same corrupt cops who framed Joe 10 years earlier. You following all that? That is the set up of Walter Mosley's juicy new detective novel "Down The River Unto The Sea." And Walter Mosley is with us now from NPR West in Culver City, Calif. Thank you so much forIn 'Down The River,' Walter Mosley Latest Detective Novel Deals With Dualitieshttp://northernpublicradio.org/post/down-river-walter-mosley-latest-detective-novel-deals-dualities
112095 as http://northernpublicradio.orgSat, 17 Feb 2018 22:30:00 +0000In 'Down The River,' Walter Mosley Latest Detective Novel Deals With DualitiesElizabeth Stewart-SeveryIn the height of ski season this year, blades of grass and patches of dirt still dot cross country ski trails in Aspen, Colo. Conditions like this present a conundrum for professional skiers: Their livelihood relies on snow and cold temperatures, but essentials like travel and snow-making come with an environmental cost. Simi Hamilton is one of the fastest cross country skiers in the world, and before the snow fell this season, he hit the pavement in his hometown of Aspen on roller skis. Training without snow is something Hamilton is getting used to. Year after year, he watches the snow line move further up the mountains. "We would be in the high Alps at 6,000 feet trying to train in mid-January and we'd still be training on just, like, a two-foot deep platform of man-made snow and there's just green grass next to the trails," Hamilton said. A missed turn on this ribbon of snow means skiers get grass stains, and that's the new reality of cross country skiing. Warming temperatures meanSnow-Making For Skiing During Warm Winters Comes With Environmental Costhttp://northernpublicradio.org/post/snow-making-skiing-during-warm-winters-comes-environmental-cost
112094 as http://northernpublicradio.orgSat, 17 Feb 2018 22:30:00 +0000Snow-Making For Skiing During Warm Winters Comes With Environmental CostAmy HeldOne day after a federal grand jury indicted more than a dozen Russians in connection with interfering in the 2016 presidential election, National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster said Saturday , "As you can see with the F.B.I. indictment, the evidence is now really incontrovertible and available in the public domain, whereas in the past it was difficult to attribute." McMaster's remarks to an international audience at the Munich Security Conference, including several Russian officials, were notable, in part, because they appeared to fly in the face of his boss's oft-repeated claims about the investigation being a phony witch hunt . McMaster used forceful language to convey American strength against what the indictment describes as a coordinated disinformation campaign, waged largely online, meant to sway American voters in Trump's favor. "The United States will expose and act against those who use cyberspace, social media and other means to advance campaigns of disinformation, subversionMcMaster Says Evidence of Russia Interference 'Incontrovertible'http://northernpublicradio.org/post/mcmaster-says-evidence-russia-meddling-incontrovertible
112092 as http://northernpublicradio.orgSat, 17 Feb 2018 21:19:00 +0000McMaster Says Evidence of Russia Interference 'Incontrovertible'Amy Heldhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HUDdQEXbpe0 Thirteen people died and 15 were injured Friday night after a military helicopter carrying government officials assessing earthquake damage crashed in southern Mexico, said the Oaxaca state prosecutor's office . Five women, four men and three children died at the scene and another person died at the hospital, according to the prosecutor's office said. All of the victims had been on the ground, reports The Associated Press. Details of the casualties are still unclear. The helicopter was carrying Interior Secretary Alfonso Navarrete and Oaxaca State Gov. Alejandro Murat, who were both reportedly unharmed. It was attempting to land in a vacant lot in the town of Santiago Jamiltepec when the pilot appeared to lose control, witnesses said. Both Murat and Navarrete tweeted their sympathy early Saturday to the victims of the crash. Hours earlier, both men tweeted photos of themselves being briefed by a military official. Navarrete said they were13 Die After Helicopter Surveying Earthquake Damage Crashes In Mexicohttp://northernpublicradio.org/post/13-die-after-helicopter-surveying-earthquake-damage-crashes-mexico
112091 as http://northernpublicradio.orgSat, 17 Feb 2018 18:55:00 +000013 Die After Helicopter Surveying Earthquake Damage Crashes In MexicoeditorFresh Air Weekend highlights some of the best interviews and reviews from past weeks, and new program elements specially paced for weekends. Our weekend show emphasizes interviews with writers, filmmakers, actors and musicians, and often includes excerpts from live in-studio concerts. This week: A Stage-4 Cancer Patient Shares The Pain And Clarity Of Living 'Scan-To-Scan': Religion scholar Kate Bowler used to believe God had a plan for her life. Then she was diagnosed with incurable colon cancer. "I really had to rethink what trust and hope looks like," she says. Kendrick Lamar Channels A Superhero's Conflicts And Strength On 'Black Panther': Lamar plays a prominent role on the soundtrack for the new Marvel film. Critic Ken Tucker says the songs on Black Panther are are shrewd, passionate and "almost ridiculously entertaining." Long Haul Trucker Was 'Completely Seduced' By The Open Road: Finn Murphy has logged more than a million miles hauling people's belongings across the country toFresh Air Weekend: Living With Incurable Stage-4 Cancer; Life As A Long Haul Truckerhttp://northernpublicradio.org/post/fresh-air-weekend-living-incurable-stage-4-cancer-life-long-haul-trucker
112090 as http://northernpublicradio.orgSat, 17 Feb 2018 16:23:00 +0000Fresh Air Weekend: Living With Incurable Stage-4 Cancer; Life As A Long Haul TruckerAmy HeldHer murder triggered rioting in Pakistan and rippled the world-over, and on Saturday the man convicted in 7-year-old Zainab Ansari's death was sentenced to die four times over. Mohammad Imran, a local man who knew Zainab's family, pleaded guilty to raping and killing the little girl, reports The Associated Press. Her body was found on a trash heap on Jan. 9 in the city of Kasur near Lahore, four days after she was reported missing. Prosecutors say Imran, 24, is a serial killer who has also admitted to killing several other children. He was arrested two weeks after Zainab's body was found. Police say they found DNA evidence linking him to Zainab as well seven other girls, reports Reuters . He will be tried in the other cases at a later date, according to the wire service. On Saturday, Imran was handed four death sentences and life imprisonment following a five-day trial, reports the AP. The world was moved by a viral photo of Zainab, her hair held back by a pink barrette, wearing herPakistan: Zainab Ansari's Confessed Killer Sentenced To Deathhttp://northernpublicradio.org/post/pakistan-zainab-ansaris-confessed-killer-sentenced-death
112089 as http://northernpublicradio.orgSat, 17 Feb 2018 16:09:00 +0000Pakistan: Zainab Ansari's Confessed Killer Sentenced To DeathNell GreenfieldboyceIn the brave new world of synthetic biology, scientists can now brew up viruses from scratch using the tools of DNA technology. The latest such feat, published last month, involves horsepox, a cousin of the feared virus that causes smallpox in people. Critics charge that making horsepox in the lab has endangered the public by basically revealing the recipe for how any lab could manufacture smallpox to use as a bioweapon. The scientist who did the work, David Evans of the University of Alberta in Canada, has said his team had to synthesize horsepox because they wanted to study the virus and there was no other way to get it. There was another possibility, NPR has learned. Evans could have done research on a specimen of horsepox collected from the wild, but he didn't pursue that alternative. He says using the natural virus might have prevented the pharmaceutical company he is working with from commercializing horsepox as a new vaccine for smallpox. But the head of the company told NPRDid Pox Virus Research Put Potential Profits Ahead of Public Safety?http://northernpublicradio.org/post/did-pox-virus-research-put-potential-profits-ahead-public-safety
112084 as http://northernpublicradio.orgSat, 17 Feb 2018 13:47:00 +0000Did Pox Virus Research Put Potential Profits Ahead of Public Safety?editorCopyright 2018 KUER 90.1. To see more, visit KUER 90.1 . SCOTT SIMON, HOST: And, of course, Mitt Romney has announced he's running for the U.S. Senate in Utah, a state that voted overwhelmingly for him in 2012 and for Donald Trump in 2016. He'll have to keep both things in mind as he runs. From member station KUR (ph), Nicole Nixon reports. NICOLE NIXON, BYLINE: Romney announced his candidacy in a video yesterday and said that Utah has a lot to teach the nation. (SOUNDBITE OF VIDEO) MITT ROMNEY: I have decided to run for United States Senate because I believe I can help bring Utah's values and Utah's lessons to Washington. NIXON: He talked about dysfunction at the federal level and said Utah has a balanced budget, welcomes immigrants and has lawmakers who respect one another. Many Utahns were excited when Romney made his candidacy official. Paul Henstrom, who said he voted for Romney in 2012, hopes he would be a bridge in a deeply divided Congress. PAUL HENSTROM: Maybe him taking kindMitt Romney Announces Candidacy For Senatehttp://northernpublicradio.org/post/mitt-romney-announces-candidacy-senate
112088 as http://northernpublicradio.orgSat, 17 Feb 2018 13:08:00 +0000Mitt Romney Announces Candidacy For SenateeditorCopyright 2018 NPR. To see more, visit SCOTT SIMON, HOST: After mass shootings, we often hear calls for someone to do something to stop these horrendous events from happening again. In Parkland, Fla., where 17 people died in the high school shootings, a movement seems to be building with young people and students who say, enough. North Country Public Radio's Brian Mann reports. BRIAN MANN, BYLINE: Kaelan Small stands in a field next to a white cross - one of 17 white crosses posted here. Two of them mark the murder of her close friends, neighbor kids, students in her classes. First, let me just ask how you're doing. KAELAN SMALL: It's been hard - I'm not even going to lie - but it's comforting knowing that a bunch of my friends are going through the exact same thing as me. MANN: She's 16. Her eyes are swollen, and she looks unsteady. She leans a little against her mom. Like a lot of kids here, Kaelan's in shock, but she's also disgusted and angry. KAELAN: I just think that it's enough.Teens Respond To School Shootinghttp://northernpublicradio.org/post/teens-respond-school-shooting
112087 as http://northernpublicradio.orgSat, 17 Feb 2018 13:08:00 +0000Teens Respond To School ShootingeditorCopyright 2018 NPR. To see more, visit SCOTT SIMON, HOST: And it's time for sports. (SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC) SIMON: It's about halfway through the Winter Olympics. Alpine skiing, figure skating, luge, skeleton, snowboarding - let's not forget curling. To your brooms. But besides the cheer, there's been controversy. Howard Bryant of ESPN joins us. Good morning, Howard. HOWARD BRYANT: Good morning, Scott. And do you know the difference between luge and skeleton, or are you just tossing out terms that are just way over your head? SIMON: I'm just tossing out terms... BRYANT: (Laughter). SIMON: ...That are way over my head and hoping my friends won't call me on it. In any event, four U.S. gold medals came from snowboarding events. Shaun White was the story of the halfpipe event after a disappointing performance at the 2014 Olympics. It was a great story - redemption, revival, recovery. But did NBC, in its Olympic programming, ignore another story? BRYANT: Of course, it did. It ignored the storySaturday Sports: Shaun White, The Olympics And Athletes Speak Outhttp://northernpublicradio.org/post/saturday-sports-shaun-white-olympics-and-athletes-speak-out
112086 as http://northernpublicradio.orgSat, 17 Feb 2018 13:08:00 +0000Saturday Sports: Shaun White, The Olympics And Athletes Speak OuteditorCopyright 2018 NPR. To see more, visit SCOTT SIMON, HOST: Evelyn Baker is a retired St. Louis Circuit Court judge who ruled in thousands of cases. There is one defendant she's not been able to forget - 16-year-old Bobby Bostic, who was convicted of robbery and other charges. EVELYN BAKER: Bobby was special. He was a child. I hated treating children like adults. The law said I had to. SIMON: Judge Baker sentenced Bostic to 241 years in prison in 1997. She says that's a sentence she would not deliver today. The judge has joined others to call for the United States Supreme Court to hear Bostic's case and overrule her own decision. We spoke with her earlier this week. What did you think of Bobby Bostic when you first saw him in your courtroom? BAKER: I thought he was a little sociopath with no remorse. SIMON: He'd been part of a pretty bad crime, hadn't he? BAKER: A series of crimes, yes - basically, they all took place in one night - robberies, assaults, abduction, car theft. It was aShe Sentenced A Teen To 241 Years In Prison. Now She Wants Her Decision Overturnedhttp://northernpublicradio.org/post/she-sentenced-teen-241-years-prison-now-she-wants-her-decision-overturned
112083 as http://northernpublicradio.orgSat, 17 Feb 2018 13:08:00 +0000She Sentenced A Teen To 241 Years In Prison. Now She Wants Her Decision OverturnedDebbie ElliottRemember how happy you were as a kid to hear the distant music of the ice cream truck get louder as it drove closer to your block? Residents of New Orleans would get that feeling when they heard the song of local produce vendor Mr. Okra, who drove up and down the streets of the city, hawking his wares. "I have the mango, I have spinach, I have yellow squash, corn on the cob," he'd chant in rhythm from a PA system attached to the roof of his bright red pick-up truck. "I have eggplant, I have onion, I have garlic." "My name is Arthur James Robinson but they call me Mr. Okra," Robinson told me when I encountered his colorful produce wagon on a reporting trip in 2013. Neighbors would pick fresh vegetables and fruit from boxes stacked in the back of his truck. It was painted with images of produce and declared "Be Nice or Leave," the slogan painted by New Orleans folk artist Dr. Bob . Robinson had been selling produce on the streets of New Orleans since he was a teenager, working with hisGoodbye, Mr. Okra: New Orleans Remembers Its Singing Vegetable Vendorhttp://northernpublicradio.org/post/goodbye-mr-okra-new-orleans-remembers-its-singing-vegetable-vendor
112085 as http://northernpublicradio.orgSat, 17 Feb 2018 13:00:00 +0000Goodbye, Mr. Okra: New Orleans Remembers Its Singing Vegetable VendorOutside a Trump campaign rally in West Palm Beach, Fla., there was a cage holding a person dressed up like Hillary Clinton in a prison uniform. In the outrageous state of the 2016 campaign, it wasn't altogether shocking to see someone at a Trump event staging the visual stunt, after the "lock her up!" chants that punctuated Trump rallies. But it's now known that this moment was set up by Russians. That incident was among the vivid details alleged in an indictment released by special counsel Robert Mueller on Friday, which lays out a sophisticated playbook for "information warfare" against the American political system. Russians working for an organization called the Internet Research Agency created fake online personas and operated social media accounts in order to create "political intensity" throughout the 2016 presidential campaign, according to the indictment. There were Facebook groups and events inciting both the left and the right; fake identities to pay real people involvedMueller Indictment Of Russian Operatives Details Playbook Of Information Warfarehttp://northernpublicradio.org/post/mueller-indictment-russian-operatives-details-playbook-information-warfare
112079 as http://northernpublicradio.orgSat, 17 Feb 2018 12:05:00 +0000Mueller Indictment Of Russian Operatives Details Playbook Of Information WarfareMichaeleen DoucleffEarlier this week, we shared the remarkable story of Abby Beckley — and her run-in with eye worms. When this young woman felt something crawling around in her eyes, she had the presence to remove said worm and then, over the course of a few weeks, not one, not two nor three ... but 14 nematodes came out from her eye. At first doctors didn't believe her. Then they saw one squiggle across her eyeball. The story was so inspirational to reader Wendy Playter that she literally sprung into verse. And posted this message on NPR's Facebook page: Other commenters on Facebook began adding to the poem — verses came in from John Hirschy (kudos for using "helminth worm" in his lines), Ellen Maddix (the "win the internet" poet) and Jonathan Choong (his "she dursen't blink" is Seussian to the max). From all of the many contributions, we've assembled the ultimate eye worm poem. You Don't Want To Know What Was In Abby Beckley's Eye A cattle ranch is down this road! And on the ranch? A nematode! WhereA Dr. Seuss-Like Poem About The Woman Who Pulled 14 Worms From Her Eyehttp://northernpublicradio.org/post/dr-seuss-poem-about-woman-who-pulled-14-worms-her-eye
112082 as http://northernpublicradio.orgSat, 17 Feb 2018 12:00:00 +0000A Dr. Seuss-Like Poem About The Woman Who Pulled 14 Worms From Her EyePhilip EwingThis week in the Russia investigations: A major new indictment from the special counsel's office that charges thirteen individuals and three companies and shakes up the political rhetoric as new facts are revealed in the sprawling imbroglio. Justice Department special counsel Robert Mueller prefers to let his work do the talking for him. On Friday, he delivered a stemwinder . Thirteen Russians and three Russian entities were indicted by a federal grand jury in connection with the attack on the 2016 election. The indictment lays out a number of detailed allegations against the Internet Research Agency located in St. Petersburg and against individuals who owned, controlled, funded or worked for the organization. Much of what Mueller's office charges — that influence-mongers used Facebook and Twitter to turn up the volume and pit American against American — was already public. But the 37-page indictment also includes a number of fascinating new insights. 1. The scheme began earlier thanThe Russia Investigations: Mueller Indicts The 'Internet Research Agency'http://northernpublicradio.org/post/russia-investigations-mueller-indicts-internet-research-agency
112081 as http://northernpublicradio.orgSat, 17 Feb 2018 12:00:00 +0000The Russia Investigations: Mueller Indicts The 'Internet Research Agency'Philip ReevesYou can buy a remarkable number of items on Copacabana Beach just by sitting on the sand a few yards from the Atlantic waves, and waiting. Without leaving your beach chair, you can purchase a piece of cheese, a kiddie pool, a blanket, a skewer of shrimp, a string bikini, a selfie-stick, a tropical shirt, a pineapple or a coconut. Be under no illusions: Copacabana is not merely a beach. It's a giant, restless market, staffed by vendors who drift around in steaming heat, flourishing their wares at the multitude of near-naked basking bodies. That's why I went there this week. I needed something. The stores in Rio de Janeiro were mostly closed because it was a holiday. Copacabana seemed to offer a solution. What I needed was a pair of rabbit ears. I might have settled for a plastic Roman gladiator helmet, a pink tutu or some devil horns. But ears seemed the cheaper and more palatable option. Why the need? Because in Rio — a city where so many so often wear so little — I have feltRio Carnival: When Brazil Lets Out Its Mysterious 'Inner Chicken'http://northernpublicradio.org/post/rio-carnival-when-brazil-lets-out-its-mysterious-inner-chicken
112080 as http://northernpublicradio.orgSat, 17 Feb 2018 12:00:00 +0000Rio Carnival: When Brazil Lets Out Its Mysterious 'Inner Chicken'While Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School was on lockdown, with an active shooter in the building, students were on their phones. They were tweeting . They were posting on Snapchat and sending videos to friends and family. They were calling their parents to let them know they were safe and texting classmates to find out if they had survived. Some of those posts may become evidence in the case of Nikolas Cruz , who has, according to court documents, confessed to the killing of 17 students and school personnel. This visceral record of the horrifying events of Feb. 14 is helping motivate a new conversation about gun control. And we can only imagine the relief of the families who learned, in the moment, that their children were alive. According to Education Week, "One girl was so emotional and overwhelmed that she handed her phone to her teacher, who reassured her mother: 'They're well taken care of. We're secure. No one is going to come in here. I will make sure that these children willShould The Parkland Shooting Change How We Think About Phones, Schools and Safety? http://northernpublicradio.org/post/should-parkland-shooting-change-how-we-think-about-phones-schools-and-safety
112078 as http://northernpublicradio.orgSat, 17 Feb 2018 11:00:00 +0000Should The Parkland Shooting Change How We Think About Phones, Schools and Safety? Hannah BlochBy the time the first week wrapped up at the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics, the powerful, icy winds that earlier disrupted or delayed competition had largely calmed. Norway's team led in medals, with 19, and Germany won more gold — nine medals — in the first week than any other country. The U.S., meanwhile, earned eight medals by Friday, including five gold. Snowboarder Redmond "Red" Gerard, a 17-year-old who overslept on the day of his event and had to borrow a too-big jacket after he couldn't find his own, clinched Team USA's first gold medal last Sunday. North Korean figure skaters made their Olympic debut; a Tongan cross-country skier crossed the finish line after only three months of experience on snow. U.S. and Canadian women's hockey teams scuffled. Every day, there was curling. Here is a look at some of the athletes, competition and other highlights of the past week in Pyeongchang. Copyright 2018 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.PHOTOS: Highlights Of Week 1 At The Pyeongchang Winter Olympics http://northernpublicradio.org/post/photos-highlights-week-1-pyeongchang-winter-olympics
112076 as http://northernpublicradio.orgSat, 17 Feb 2018 10:02:00 +0000PHOTOS: Highlights Of Week 1 At The Pyeongchang Winter Olympics